Science & Politics

Join us for a Central Conversation with renowned Scientist Lisbeth Gronlund, Eric Lander and Professor Jonathan King, discussing the impact science has on politics and how they influence each other to determine the outcome of international and human relations throughout history.

Dr. Jonathan King, Professor of Biology at MIT, holds a Ph.D. from Caltech. A long-time advocate for public understanding of science, Professor King has been intimately involved in science curriculum and development initiatives for K-12 and undergraduate education throughout his academic career. He is a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, NIH Merit Award, and MIT’s MLK Jr. Faculty Leadership Award.

Lisbeth Gronlund is a Senior Scientist and Co-director of the Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Her work focuses on technical and policy issues related to nuclear weapons, ballistic missile defenses, and space weapons. She holds a Ph.D. in physics from Cornell University. She is also the primary organizer of the International Summer Symposiums on Science and World Affairs, and a co-recipient of the 2001 Joseph A. Burton Forum Award of the American Physical Society.

Dr. Eric Lander, faculty at both MIT and Harvard Medical School, holds a PhD from Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar.  Dr. Lander was appointed by President Obama to co-chair the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, which advises the White House on matters including health, advanced manufacturing, energy policy, information technology, nanotechnology and national security. He was also one of the principal leaders of the Human Genome Project, directing the largest center in the international project.

 All Central Conversations are open to the public; seats are available on a first come, first serve basis.